Pentagon leak suspect Jack Teixeira is expected to plead guilty in federal court
BOSTON — BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira accused of leaking top-secret military documents about Russia’s war in Ukraine and other national security secrets is expected to plead guilty Monday in federal court.
The 22-year-old is due to appear at Boston’s federal courthouse for a change of plea hearing, nearly a year after he was arrested in the case that emerged from the biggest national security breach in years.
Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, has been behind bars since his arrest in April in the case that raised alarm about America’s ability to protect its best-kept secrets and forced the Biden administration to scramble to tighten diplomatic and limit military consequences.
The leak prompted the Pentagon to tighten controls to protect classified information, and the Air Force has disciplined 15 personnel as the inspector general found last year that multiple officials deliberately failed to take required action against Teixeira’s suspicious behavior.
Teixeira had previously pleaded not guilty to six counts of knowingly retaining and transmitting national defense information under the Espionage Act. Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
Last year, a judge ordered Teixeira to remain behind bars while he awaited trial after prosecutors revealed he had a history of violent rhetoric and warned that U.S. adversaries who might be interested in mining Teixeira for information could target him help you escape.
Teixeira remains in the Air National Guard without pay, the Air Force said.
Neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys provided further details about Teixeira’s settlement. An attorney for Teixeira did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Teixeira was part of the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts when authorities said he illegally collected military secrets and shared them with other users on Discord, a social media platform popular with people online play games. Teixeira worked as a “cyber transportation systems specialist,” essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks.
Authorities said he first typed up classified documents he had gained access to and then began sharing photos of files marked SECRET and TOP SECRET. The leak exposed to the world reveals unvarnished secret assessments of Russia’s war in Ukraine, other countries’ capabilities and geopolitical interests, and other national security issues.
Prosecutors have said little about an alleged motive. But members of the Discord group described Teixeira as someone who wanted to show off, rather than being motivated by a desire to inform the public about U.S. military operations or influence U.S. policy.
Prosecutors have said Teixeira continued to leak government secrets even after being warned by superiors about mishandling and improperly viewing classified information. In one instance, Teixeira was seen taking notes on intelligence information and putting them in his pocket.
The Air Force inspector general found that members “deliberately failed to report the full details” of Teixeira’s unauthorized intelligence investigation because they believed security officials might overreact. For example, while Teixeira was confronted with the note, there was no follow-up to ensure the note was shredded and the incident was not reported to security officers.
It was not until an incident in January 2023 that appropriate security officials were notified, but even then, security officials were not informed of the full scope of the violations.
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Associated Press reporter Tara Copp in Washington contributed.